Nicolas Gaitan sale warning alerts Man United and Man City

Nicolas Gaitan will be allowed to leave Benfica in the summer, if Manchester United or Manchester City are prepared to match the Portuguese club’s £25 million asking price.

The Argentina international was linked with United and Juventus during the January transfer window, but no deal was agreed.

Nicolas Gaitan could be on his way to England (Getty Images)

City are now also believed to be interested in the 23-year-old, and a representative of the Premier League leaders was spotted at Benfica’s recent win over Maritimo.

The Lisbon-based club have previously said they would be reluctant to part with the attacking midfielder, but president Luis Filipe Vieira has now revealed they will be forced to sell a number of stars at the end of the season.

‘The sale of players is the priority for Benfica but only if it is helping the club,’ he said.

‘Our aim is to break even and make around 50 million euros in the summer through sales.’

Gaitan is Benfica’s most saleable asset, but they will also look to offload Ezequiel Garay and Inter Milan target Oscar Cardozo.